Introduction to the Series — Following the Evidence

A Critical Examination of the Qur’an’s Divine Claims

For over 1,400 years, Muslims have asserted that the Qur’an is the literal, unaltered word of God—perfect, eternal, and uniquely miraculous. This claim forms the foundation of Islamic belief and law.

Yet extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
When the Qur’an is approached with rigorous, unbiased scrutiny—using historical research, textual criticism, and logical analysis—the evidence challenges rather than confirms its divine origin.

This series takes a relentless, evidence-based journey through the Qur’an’s:

• Textual inconsistencies and variant readings.

• Moral and scientific claims rooted in a 7th-century worldview.

• Contradictions and the controversial doctrine of abrogation.

• Echoes of earlier scriptures and cultural borrowings.

• Reliance on unverifiable hadith traditions.

• Lack of early manuscript and archaeological corroboration.

• Commands for violence at odds with universal ethics.

Each post is grounded in scholarly research and highlights where the traditional narrative fails under critical examination. This series does not shy away from uncomfortable conclusions, because intellectual honesty demands following the evidence wherever it leads.

If the Qur’an is truly divine, it should withstand scrutiny—not collapse under it.
This series argues it does the latter, making the case that the Qur’an is best understood as a human product shaped by historical circumstances.

For those seeking truth rather than tradition, this series is a necessary, clear-eyed investigation.

“Ten Evidence-Based Reasons to Doubt the Divine Origin of the Qur’an”

Subtitle: “A historical-critical examination of the text, context, and claims of Islam’s sacred book”

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✅ Series Outline & Drafts:

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Post 1: Variant Readings & Lost Verses — Human Hands in a Supposedly Divine Text

Core thesis:

A divine revelation should be perfectly preserved. Yet the Qur’an’s history shows early codices differed, many verses were forgotten or lost, and the qirāʾāt tradition admits multiple canonical readings.

Key evidence:

• Ibn Mas‘ud’s codex lacked surahs 1, 113, 114.

• Ubayy ibn Ka‘b’s codex contained two additional surahs.

• Variants like Hafs vs. Warsh change meaning (e.g., “he killed” vs. “he fought”).

References:

• Shady Nasser, The Transmission of the Variant Readings of the Qur’an (2012)

• Arthur Jeffery, Materials for the History of the Text of the Qur'an (1937)

• Gabriel Said Reynolds (ed.), The Qur'an in Its Historical Context (2008)

Critical question:

If this book was preserved on a “preserved tablet” (Qur’an 85:21–22), how could early Muslims disagree on its very content?

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Post 2: Moral & Scientific Errors — Echoes of a 7th-Century Worldview

Core thesis:

A timeless divine text should not contain moral or scientific claims limited to its age.

Examples:

• Permits wife-beating (4:34) and concubinage (4:24).

• Mentions earth as spread out (79:30), sky held up without pillars (13:2), semen originating “between backbone and ribs” (86:6–7).

References:

• Roy Mottahedeh, Qur’anic Ethics and Islamic Law (2001)

• Christoph Luxenberg, The Syro-Aramaic Reading of the Koran (2007)

• Qur’an itself.

Critical question:

Are these verses divine guidance or human reflection of a patriarchal tribal society?

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Post 3: The Inimitability Claim (I‘jaz) — Subjective, Circular, and Unfalsifiable

Core thesis:

Claiming “no one can produce a surah like it” is circular: it assumes divine origin because of literary style, judged by believers.

Evidence:

• Literary excellence is subjective.

• Non-Muslim Arabists and linguists often see the Qur’an as stylistically impressive but not miraculous.

References:

• John Wansbrough, Quranic Studies (1977)

• Theodor Nöldeke, The History of the Qurʾān (2013 English)

• Devin Stewart, “Sajʿ in the Qur'an” (2008)

Critical question:

How can aesthetic judgment, which varies culturally and individually, be proof of objective divinity?

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Post 4: Borrowings from Earlier Texts — The Qur’an’s Reliance on Jewish, Christian, and Apocryphal Sources

Core thesis:

The Qur’an contains stories clearly rooted in pre-existing Jewish and Christian literature, some even from non-canonical apocrypha.

Examples:

• Story of Abraham destroyed idols (cf. Jewish midrash).

• Jesus speaking from the cradle (cf. Arabic Infancy Gospel).

• Creation stories matching Genesis.

References:

• Sidney Griffith, “Christian Lore and the Arabic Qurʾan” (2008)

• Gabriel Said Reynolds (ed.), The Qur'an in Its Historical Context (2008)

• Christoph Luxenberg (2007)

Critical question:

Does this continuity reflect divine revelation or cultural borrowing by Muhammad from local communities?

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Post 5: Contradictions Within the Text — Clues of Human Editing, Not Divine Unity

Core thesis:

Contradictory claims within the Qur’an point to a layered compilation process rather than a single, unchanging divine message.

Examples:

• Humans created from clay (38:71), fluid (16:4), clot (96:2), or nothing (19:67).

• Six vs. eight days of creation (7:54 vs. 41:9–12).

References:

• Ibn Warraq (ed.), The Origins of The Koran (1998)

• Theodor Nöldeke, The History of the Qurʾān (2013 English)

Critical question:

Why would an all-knowing deity contradict itself on basic claims?

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Post 6: Where Are the Miracles? A Book That Claims Divinity but Shows None

Core thesis:

Unlike other religious texts that report historical miracles, the Qur’an points only to its own style as miraculous.

Evidence:

• Lacks testable prophecies.

• No external events corroborated by non-Muslim sources.

References:

• Andrew Rippin, The Qur'an and its Interpretative Tradition (2001)

• John Wansbrough, Quranic Studies (1977)

Critical question:

Can rhetoric alone prove divinity in absence of external, empirical miracles?

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Post 7: Self-Serving Verses — Revelations That Benefit Muhammad Personally

Core thesis:

Many verses in the Qur’an conveniently address Muhammad’s critics, justify his privileges, or regulate his marriages.

Examples:

• Muhammad may marry more women than believers (33:50).

• Criticism of his critic Abu Lahab (surah 111).

References:

• Patricia Crone, God’s Caliph (1986)

• Fred Donner, Muhammad and the Believers (2010)

Critical question:

Would a truly transcendent divine message include personal privileges and rebuttals tailored to one man’s life?

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Post 8: Dependence on Oral Tradition — Human Memory, Losses, and Disputes

Core thesis:

The Qur’an relied on oral transmission, leading to forgotten verses, missing passages, and conflicting memories.

Examples:

• Lost “stoning verse” and “ten sucklings verse.”

• Caliph Uthman’s standardization destroyed variant codices.

References:

• John Burton, The Collection of the Qur'an (1977)

• Arthur Jeffery (1937)

• al-Bukhari’s Sahih.

Critical question:

Why should eternal revelation depend on fragile, human oral memory?

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Post 9: The Qur’an’s Tribal Roots — Culture-Bound Rather than Universal

Core thesis:

A book meant for all humanity instead reflects issues specific to 7th-century Arabia.

Examples:

• Caravan raiding laws (8:1, 8:41).

• Oaths on specific local objects (e.g., figs, olive, Mount Sinai).

• Social institutions like slavery and polygyny.

References:

• Patricia Crone, Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam (1987)

• Fred Donner (2010)

Critical question:

Why would a truly universal message be so narrowly adapted to a single tribal society?

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Post 10: The Problem of Abrogation — A Perfect Law That Changes Over Time

Core thesis:

The Qur’an itself admits some verses cancel or replace earlier ones — suggesting a reactive, evolving text, not a timeless, perfect law.

Examples:

• Changing qibla (2:142–144).

• Gradual alcohol ban (2:219 → 4:43 → 5:90).

References:

• John Burton, The Sources of Islamic Law (1990)

• Qur’an 2:106, 16:101

Critical question:

Why would an all-knowing deity need to reverse or update its own eternal word?

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🧩 Series conclusion 

After examining its history, content, contradictions, and cultural roots, it becomes harder to sustain the claim that the Qur’an is uniquely divine.
Instead, the evidence points consistently to a brilliant, human product of its time — shaped by oral tradition, local conflicts, and older religious lore.

 💡 Next in the series: Part 1: Variant Readings & Lost Verses — Human Hands in a Supposedly Divine Text